Digital Mileage

"Who knew there was such a thing as human foosball?"

“Who knew there was such a thing as human foosball?  And who knew ADP Digital Marketing Services associates would be so good at it?”

Monique LaFollette, an instructor on the Learning and Development team, has had a few new experiences in her eight weeks here, but the “tailgate party” for the entire Seattle-based Services organization has to be a highlight so far.  From Account Advocates who work proactively with our customers to website builders, from search engine experts to managers, everyone was invited to shut down their laptops and put their phones on hold to have some fun outside nearby Pyramid Alehouse.

It was the first such gathering since the Services team moved from the Lynnwood office to the new office in downtown Seattle.  Everyone was encouraged to wear their favorite sports team colors, and the festivities included lots of excellent food, root beer on tap, a push-and-pull variation on basketball…and yes, human foosball.

Don’t believe us? That’s OK, we’ve got the pictures to prove it.

Monique, ready to rumble!

Monique, one of the Services organization’s newest members, was there to see it all.

“Every player (and observer) I saw was cheering – and smiling – and pretty much going for it in a full-throttle way. Within minutes, most contestants (even the ones wearing flip-flops, and even the ones who’d just ingested their body weight in brats, burgers, and beverages) were mastering some pretty fine foosball skills – bank shots, lobbed balls, and back-passes to members of their team. Who could have predicted such agility? Who could have foreseen such sporting tenacity?”

Getting a little help from your friends isn't against the rules...right?

“Emotions (and heart rates) were definitely running high as the scores crept toward the cutoff point in the inflatable arena. Watching my co-workers fiercely focus, yanking on their tethered lines while positioning themselves in creative manners to get their toe on the bouncy rubber ball quicker than the opposing team, it was clear that everyone was agreed on one thing: we’re here to have fun, and we’re here to WIN. No matter what it takes!”

“It’s pretty cool, having been here just two months, to see the culture of this organization show up in a crazy game of human foosball. From what I’ve observed, this spirited sense of “can-do” and creative partnership isn’t something unique to the foosball arena. It’s part of who we are. I’ve listened to it in huddles, I’ve seen it play out in meetings, and I’ve watched it as people help each other solve problems on the job. We work hard, we get creative, and we have fun doing it – even if it makes us sweat a little.”

Sports jerseys were the dress code of the day (not strictly enforced, though).

“In fact, a lot of what I saw at the Services tail-gate party isn’t an uncommon sighting in the office: lots of fun, a lot of laughter, lots of mingling, and a very pronounced amount of sports jerseys…especially the sports jerseys.”

“I can’t wait until the next off-site event! I’m already hungry.”